


The Sheriff

by finchfiesta



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, Crime Fighting, Gen, Sheriff Barton
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 10:30:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14018301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/finchfiesta/pseuds/finchfiesta
Summary: Sheriff Clint Barton moved back to his hometown after the accident that took his hearing. He thought it would be easier, a nice change of pace. He was wrong.





	The Sheriff

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains references to child abuse, violence, drugs and other content some readers may wish to avoid. I try to avoid writing that exploits, glamorizes, or condones these things, but if you are sensitive to even references to this content, this story is probably not for you :)

“Aw hell, I turned out okay, didn’t I?” the sheriff said, leaning back in his office chair. He kicked his dusty boots up on his desk and folded his arms behind his head. “I’m sure we can find her a foster family better than that piece of shit father she has now.”  
Pepper Potts, social worker extraordinaire, shot Clint a disapproving look, but nodded her agreement. “We know this has been an incredibly challenging time for you, Ms. James, but it’s only a temporary arrangement. You’re not abandoning Laura, you’re just making sure you’re able to take care of her when she does come to live with you.”  
“I didn’t know he was capable of…that.” Ms. James was sitting hunched over on the couch besides Pepper. She was wringing a well-used tissue in her hands. “I wouldn’t have left her with him otherwise. I promise I’ll prove to you I can be a good parent, I just need a few months to process all this. But please, please make sure Laura ends up with good people.”  
“We will, you needn’t worry about that,” Pepper soothed, placing a reassuring hand on the tearful woman’s shoulder. “Now, are there any other questions we can answer for you?”  
“Can you let me know where she ends up?”  
“We will keep you in the loop.”  
“I…I think that’s all then. Thank you so much for everything. I’ll work it out, I swear.”  
“I believe you” Pepper smiled, helping the shaking woman to her feet.  
“I’ll…I’ll just show myself out then,” the woman said, grabbing up her things, which she had haphazardly dumped on the floor when she arrived.  
“Take care,” Pepper smiled.  
Clint only tipped the brim of his hat as the woman left.  
When she was out of earshot, Clint gave Pepper a wry smile. “Better look for a good placement for Laura. She’ll be there a while.”  
“You’re probably right, but do you always have to be so cynical? Ms. James seems committed to getting Laura back.”  
“The only thing she seems committed to is drinking.”  
Pepper huffed at his comment but knew better than to argue.  
“You’ve been doing this long enough. Almost as long as I have. How come you aren’t more jaded by now?” Clint asked.  
“People surprise you sometimes,” Pepper said firmly. “Look at you!”  
“Never thought I’d be sheriff, did you?”  
“I never thought you’d want to, to be fair,” she smiled. “But I always knew you had it in you to do something with your life.”  
“Huh.”  
Pepper got up and smoothed her skirt. “Well, I have to get back to the city and finish up the paperwork. Try to be positive, for Laura’s sake if anything.”  
“I’ll try.” He gave her a lazy wave as she headed out.

 

Once Pepper was gone, Clint tried to get back to work, but couldn’t get his mind to focus. How many years had he been in law enforcement? How much shit had he seen and heard about? Back in the big city, he hadn’t seen that many cases involving kids. He always seemed to end up with the minor stuff, cases that were easy to forget about by the end of the day, hell, by the time he’d get back to the station. Then, after the accident, he was reassigned to training duties, humiliating at the time, sure, but also, deep-down, kind of a relief. When that got boring, and city life became too much for him, he’d moved back here. Middle of nowhere, small town America. They were desperate for a new sheriff, and everyone could look past his failings since he was a good ol’ boy with some big league experience.  
Or so they thought.  
There was plenty of forgettable work out here, too - rowdy drunks and bored teenagers and an occasional tourist speeding through - yet there was still plenty of stuff that ate at your soul. Family and friends and all those people you think you know from living nearby for twenty years…you think you know them, but they all have their secrets and baggage.  
Laura was a classmate’s daughter, some guy who had only ever seemed like an average joe jackass. This case didn’t even involve drugs - how many decent folks seemed to do stupid, awful things once those got involved, though? It was hard to look at the poor girl, trembling and scared, bruised and broken, and yet, with such a fierce stare. “You’re gonna do something about this or what?” she seemed to ask him, that first time he’d visited her in the hospital.  
She couldn’t communicate, not really, yet every time he looked at her, she seemed to be judging him, measuring him to see if he was up for the task.  
But politics, as always, were involved. The guy was connected to the judge somehow and since they were so strapped for resources here, there had been issues with processing some key evidence. Everyone here knew everyone else, covered for each other, and wanted things swept under the rug. Everyone wanted tourists to stop through on their way to better things, to leave a little money in town.  
It wasn’t like this was new for him, he’d been here long enough to be re-elected. Not many people out here, but his jurisdiction covered a large area and seemed to contain more than its fair share of assholes. People who thought they could get away with murder, and probably could. Well, he’d cross that bridge when it came to that. For now, he’d focus on Laura.


End file.
